Akufo-Addo made a figure of speech on Aisha Huang’s 2018 ‘deportation’ status – Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah

Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah has explained that President Akufo-Addo’s statement on not being sure if Aisha Huang was deported or fled Ghana in 2018 was merely a figure of speech, purefmonline.com reports.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a media interview expressed doubt on the ‘deportation’ status of Chinese illegal miner, Aisha Huang, nicknamed ‘Galamsey Queen’, in 2018.

The Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo in 2019 at a Government’s town hall meeting in the US in confirming and justifying the government’s decision to discontinue the prosecution of Aisha Huang, who was found to be openly engaged in illegal mining in the country and deported stated that, jailing her in Ghana would not have solved the country’s economic problems.

Rather, it would have severed the country’s diplomatic ties with China and the huge investments Chinese companies are making in developing the country’s infrastructure, citing a $2 billion Sino Hydro deal the government was expecting from the Chinese government.

In a reaction, President Akufo-Addo stated on Stone City FM in Tarkwa yesterday stated that he is in doubt Aisha Huang was deported from Ghana in 2018 as he has no confirmation on the actions taken by state actors.

“I’m not still sure whether she was in fact deported, or whether she fled the country the first time and has now come back. There still seems to be some uncertainty about it,” he said.

Explaining the President’s statement on Accra-based Citi FM, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah noted that the President’s statement was a figure of speech which should not be construed in the literal sense.

“The facts remain that Aisha Huang was sent out of Ghana by the Immigration Service. The facts remain that when she re-entered the country, the state’s agents re-arrested her. The President’s statement was a figure of speech.

"I have shared with your producers the details of the flight she was put, when she was sent out of Ghana and now that we have the Right to Information Act, anyone can apply for details of this information I’m giving you.

"We can quarrel and contest the President’s choice of words but the facts remain that Aisha Huang was sent out of Ghana and she came back herself of which she was re-arrested.” Kojo Oppong Nkrumah told Umaru Sanda on Citi FM.